zoloft questions...

[katheryneseaman]

I've had extremely high anxiety for the past few years. I've been on Paxil, Lexapro, Depacote, and Xanax, none of which seemed to work or have given me worse side effects than the anxiety itself. I took myself off of all medication about 2 years ago...my anxiety subsided mostly. Occaionally I'd have a mild panic attack, but it wasn't anything I couldn't deal with.
12 weeks ago, I had a baby. Since then, I've had an overwhelming feeling of "lightheadedness". I've been afraid to leave the house because i'm afraid I'll pass out, and I don't know what I'd do! My doctor ran a few tests and atributed it to anxiety, yet again, and decided to put me on zoloft.
She said to only take 25mg...and to actually take 12.5 the first to weeks then to up to 25. I did so...at first the only thing i experienced was a loss of appetite...an extreme loss of appetite. I had to force myself to eat, pretty much. (I've lost almost 10 pounds in 3 weeks)...then the day I go up to my 25 mg dose, I try to sleep that night...and have the worst panic attack i've ever had. (couldn't concentrate...lasted 3 hours...eyes were completely dialated, face was white, called my sister to come over and she thought i was drugged cuz i couldn't get out a sentence correctly). the next day i went back down to 1/2 a pill.
That night, I experienced something I'd never experienced before, though. I want to call it a "vibration" inside? i don't know how else to describe it. It was like...my insides were vibrating...all over my body. and it was happening right before i fell asleep...and it lasted maybe 15 seconds and went away after i realized it was happening. my outsides weren't shaking. i wasn't chatting teeth. my hands were steady. my pulse was normal. my sister said i wasn't shaking. but i could feel it.
Since then, for the past two nights (tonight will be night 3), I've had the vibrations before i go to sleep and when i wake up. I'm not sure what they are, and they really really scare me. I already have high anxiety, but to be exuting a symptom such as a VIBRATING BODY makes me even more worried.
I'm not sure if maybe the zoloft is causing this...i've only been on it for 2 weeks and 5 days...but if anyone could help me out or give me input or has any similar stories, I'd love to hear.

Thank you!!

 

[blight]

I started taking zoloft a few weeks ago as well, in about the same amounts. I felt some very small stomach aches the first couple days, which is what the doctor said would happen, and then pretty much the side effects stopped.

It sounds like i have very different anxiety symptons than you anyway though as mine is more strictly social-related, but i'd have to say zoloft has been very mild for me so far. The vibrating feeling sounds pretty weird; however on the one hand i've heard most side effects go away totally after the first month or so, but on the other i'd have to say that it sounds like it isn't meshing with your system very well.

As for my anxiety, i think the drug is helping a very little bit. I would say i'm between 5%-10% better, which is pretty good overall i guess. actually after the first week, there were a few days where i felt almost 100% better. i actually can't even remember feeling that good. it may have been sort of a placebo-effect though, not completely sure about that. anyway, that went away and i've been consistently a *little* better since.

 

[bluenow]

Here is an interesting site with people having the same symptom:

http://brain.hastypastry.net/forums/archive/index.php/t-26742.html

 

[Septor]

It sound like you are having a very adverse reaction medication.That's the problem with antidepressant.People get all kind of different reaction to them.Some people get really bad reaction like you describe and other people don't even feel them.No way of telling until you take it.

 

[Meow]

Different anti depressents and anti anxiety medications can cause different reactions. I took Zoloft and had some anxiety with it for one day but after that it pretty much didn't do anything for me either way, it was useless for me so I don't take it anymore. I tried a different drug called fluoxetine a few years ago and it made me go a bit nuts.

Sometimes the side effects go after a while, but you know yourself how much you can take and when something just isn't right. You should see your doctor so they can switch your medication!

 

[drewcarey]

Zoloft v Paxil

I moved from Paxil to Zoloft about 5 weeks ago.
Paxil was working great but I put on 20kg (no exageration).

Anyway, when I switched to Zoloft it was like a fog lifted from my mind. I wasn't even aware it had been there on Paxil. The problem is that the Zoloft is nowhere near as good for anxiety and I have that mild background buzz of anxiety at times.

I think I know what that internal shiver is that you are describing - I had it when I started Paxil although nothing that lasted 15 minutes.

After childbirth your hormones get a bit mixed up - especially if you have a boy as you will have slightly higher testosterone (sometimes clears up acne in pregnant woman). My point is that you hopefully won't have to be on medication for too long as the problem has been triggered by a specific event and your body may "normalise" soon.